Lewes FC Manager Steve King (continued)

I was also a little disappointed with the crowd. There were only about 300 there, to see a professional side. I make a great effort to get big sides here pre-season and I’d hoped that the game would pull more in. I don’t want to criticise the fans, though, because I want them to realise how important they are to the team. We’ve got a super crowd, who really get behind us when we attack the Philcox Stand end. They drive us forward, they’re very vocal. The crowd are our twelfth man. I want them to realise that this season we mean business. We are going for promotion, and if we get it we will go up. It’s not 42 friendlies this season, and I’m hoping that we’ll get big crowds behind us. The average last season was 500-odd. I’m hoping this season for 6-700. That’d really make a difference.

The first game of the season, on Saturday, is away at Salisbury. They are a big strong side, very physical, a bit like Histon. They’ve just come up, and promoted teams, on the crest of a wave, usually do well in this division. I’ve seen them twice at home this season, and they’ve impressed me: they beat a Southampton youth side 4-2 and won another game 8-1. They will be a very good home side, and they pull in about 1,000 fans. A draw would not be a bad result, though of course we’ll be going for a win. I say of course, because that’s my philosophy. I’m not one to sit back, I like to attack, home and away.

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